Elissa encourages us to participate fully in the Nativity fast in order to prepare our hearts for Christ.

Elissa offers some suggestions for teaching children about the purpose of fasting.

Elissa encourages us to teach our children to view their souls as habitations for our Lord.

Elissa encourages parents and Sunday school teachers to stress the importance of Pascha by sharing in its fullness the story that leads up to Christ's Resurrection.

Elissa reminds us that if God were fair, we would be in big trouble.

Elissa recounts her week at Camp St. Sava, the official Orthodox summer camp of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Western American Diocese.

Elissa expresses how important it is to be honest and humble when teaching children, freely showing our imperfections.

Elissa discusses the story of Abraham and Isaac and her favorite prayer for children.

Elissa shares the wisdom of the newly canonized St. Porphyrios with regard to raising up children.

Elissa demonstrates how talking about St. John the Forerunner can be a great way to illustrate and understand the roles of the prophets and the saints all at once.

Elissa describes the "Psalter group" and its purpose during Great Lent.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy offers us an opportunity to discuss with our kids the Orthodox understanding of the materiality of this world and its potential for holiness.

If you are fasting from meat and dairy products, but you are not praying, studying the word of God, and making an effort to show love and charity, then your fast looks a lot like the devil's fast.

Elissa shares some of the youth-centric traditions of her home parish with regard to Holy Week and Pascha.

Elissa reminds us that we are temples of God, meant to light up and become a lamp for the world.

Elissa discusses Orthodox marriage and parenting, focusing particularly on how both involve dying to self.

Citing the writings of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Elissa demonstrates how the conveniences we have invented to make life easy have actually made it quite a bit harder.

Elissa reminds us that it is our job to make our free will line up with God's will.

Why does it matter that our God came down to earth and took on flesh? Elissa discusses using the Jesse Tree and other means to teach our children about the Feast of the Nativity.

Gifts are a part of Christmas, and that's actually okay, but "God become flesh" is the true meaning of Christmas.

How do you make fasting a beautiful and natural part of your home?

The goal of Great Lent is not only to deny ourselves and live for Christ, but also to let Christ live in us.

Great Lent is a preparation for the ultimate Pascha—for the end of time and Christ's return.

How will we help our children find a respectful and good way to offer Orthodoxy to this world? Elissa emphasizes the importance of being able to articulate the Orthodox faith in emulation of the twelve Holy Apostles.

Elissa encourages us to teach our children some prayers to say to themselves while they're standing in line for Communion.

Elissa discusses how the parish and Sunday school can help support the family throughout Lent.

The four Gospels offer different perspectives and even different stories on our Lord. Elissa uses this situation as the basis for a family retreat during Great and Holy Friday.

The Holy Spirit can be a difficult and abstract concept to explain to young people, so in honor of the feast of Pentecost, Elissa explores the story of the tongues of fire, as well as the prayer "O Heavenly King," to find ways to describe this most mysterious person of the Holy Trinity.

Elissa's co-author, Caleb Shoemaker, joins her for a conversation about their new book, Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home, discussing the challenges and benefits of bringing an Orthodox rhythm to the family.

Elissa talks with Dan Bein from Orthodox Christian Fellowship about this important ministry for college students.

Is there a way to approach the Old Testament with our children in a fascinating and dimensional way? Elissa encourages us to teach Old Testament stories on three different levels.

Our culture shies away from death, but every year, as we Orthodox participate in Holy Week and Pascha, we recalibrate our relationship with death. We face death squarely, and we enter into grief and find that Christ conquers death.

Fr. Michael examines Jesus's exhortation to "take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees."

Fr. Michael addresses disappointment—what it is and how we should deal with it.

Fr. Michael shares the song of the vineyard, from the Prophet Isaiah.

Fr. Michael discusses fear of, and love for, God.

Fr. Michael addresses the passages in the gospels where Jesus instructs his disciples to buy swords, Peter's use of the sword, and our own response. "When you look at the Orthodox tradition, there is quite a mixed bag regarding violence and the use of weapons.... When we use force to oppose those who oppose us, when we end up fighting fire with fire, we destroy the ability of our enemy to hear. We cut off the ear of the very ones Jesus came to save."

Fr. Michael talks about charismatic Protestant Christianity.

Fr. Michael uses the illustration of rock climbing to talk about fear and freedom.

Fr. Michael concludes his two-part series on discussing the comparison between vocations: marriage, monasticism, and singleness.

Fr. Michael gives some answers to the age-old question of why life is hard.

Fr. Michael uses the examples of the Prodigal Son and the Wise Thief to talk about unity and freedom.

Fr. Michael shares about discernment. "We all have to begin where we are, with the limited ability and grace we have.... If we follow what we know, maybe God will reveal to us some of what we do not know."

Fr. Michael talks about getting beyond "scribbling down lists of mistakes" to "allowing your reflection on your sins to break your heart" in preparing for the sacrament of Confession.

Fr. Michael talks about the changeability of our bodies in our endeavor to live in holiness. "We may be a mess, but we are God's mess, and He loves us."

Fr. Michael shares important things to think about in the quest for a spiritual father or mother.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held this past weekend at Antiochian Village. This is Part 1.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 2.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 3.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 4.